How to avoid being scammed when buying a vehicle from a private seller.

The internet is rife with horror stories of people misrepresenting themselves while selling a vehicle, and scamming shoppers with schemes that seem legitimate, but end up with them losing hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. How do you protect yourself from people who would abuse an honest car shopper?

Are all used vehicles of the same year, make, and model the same?

Say you're searching on a site like Autotrader or KBB's Classifieds, and you see two used vehicles that seem identical, but are drastically different in price. What's the cause for this? Why do vehicles of the same year, make, and model, have such a range of values?

Where do our used vehicles come from?

Hi there! Rob here,

I'm going to tell on myself a little bit. Before I began working at Daniell Motors, I thought that used vehicles on car lots were all trade-ins. Which, if you think about it for more than ten seconds, doesn't make too much sense--especially in relation to an independent used dealer. So, just where do used vehicles come from?

What to bring with you when buying a used vehicle.

If you spend much time around an owner of a quality used vehicle, they will likely share the many benefits of buying used versus new, such as the lower buying price, great values on extended warranties, and the joys of interacting with dealers like us! Whether you're planning to buy your first used vehicle, or your fifth, here are some things to make sure to bring with you.

Should I trade in my vehicle or sell it myself?

Breck often tells customers that it would be better for them, financially, to sell their vehicle privately than to trade it on a new vehicle. But how is that distinction made? Breck says it's fairly simple.

My trade in is worth HOW much!? Part two.

Last time, we talked about some factors that do and do not affect the actual value of a trade in vehicle to a dealer, such as mechanical condition or aftermarket accessories. Another factor that may cause a shopper to ascribe more value to their trade in vehicle than it is actually worth is what is known as the "endowment effect."

My trade in is worth HOW much!?

Often, society and status can influence our perception of how valuable something is. This happens with vehicles a lot. Vehicle owners make upgrades and adjustments to fit their personal preferences or to gain status or attention, and expect these changes to raise the value of their vehicle.

Many times, however, we have shoppers who are looking to trade in their vehicle and are surprised by how much the number they have in their head differs from the actual appraisal value.